Gravity fed magazine equipped coin spinner



Jan. 10, 1956 L. MARTIN ET AL GRAVITY FED MAGAZINE EQUIPPED COIN SPINNER Filed June 5, 1954 INVENTORS Leo Martin Allen If. Bird ATTORNEYS United States Patent O GRAVITY FED MAGAZINE EQUIPPED COIN SPINNER Leo Martin, Branford, and Allen K. Bird, Guilford, Conn.

Application June 3, 1954, Serial No. 434,115

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-138) This invention relates to amusement devices and relates more particularly to devices adapted to spin coins on a table, for example, for the amusement of children and others.

One object of the invention is the provision of an improved coin spinner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a magazine-equipped coin spinner by which five or more coins may be spun one after another in rapid succession, so that all the coins may spins simultaneously on a table.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a coin spinner, such as characterized above, which is of simple construction and economical to produce, and which will not easily get out of order.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a coin spinner embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the spinner illustrating a number of coins associated therewith; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the reference numeral indicates generally the body of the coin spinner. The body 10 is elongated and is preferably formed of wood. However, if desired, the body 10 may be formed of metal or plastic material. As shown in the drawing, the body 10 is generally wedge-shaped, the upper surface or edge 11 thereof tapering or converging toward the lower surface or edge 12. Also, as shown in the drawing, the opposite sides 13 and 14 of the body are substantially parallellto one another throughout the greater part of their lengths. As shown in Fig. 2, the side 14 of the body is cut away, as at 14. When the coin spinner is in use, the lower edge 12 of the body is horizontally disposed, as shown in Fig. 3, and is supported on a table top (not shown), for exam ple. Adjacent the narrow end 15 of the body, the upper edge 11 thereof is cut away, as at 16, for a purpose which will appear hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 3, for example, the upper edge 11 of the body is provided with a curvilinear recess 17 adjacent the cut-away portion 16 of the body and receiving a coin 18, the coin 18 being on edge and the lower rim portion of the coin resting on the bottom of the recess 17. As best shown in this view, the diameter of the coin 18 is only slightly less than the internal dimensions of the recess 17. Communicating with the recess 17 is a groove 19 formed in the body longitudinally thereof substantially midway between the sides 13 and 14 and formed in the upper edge 11 of the body. The groove 19 extends to the other end of the body and the bottom 19 of the groove is inclined downwardly to the recess 17, as shown in Fig. 3, so that coins in the groove 19 move by gravity into the recess 17. The body 10 is provided with a transverse pin 20 at the wide end thereof, which pin extends across the groove 19 to inhibit coins from rolling out of the groove 19 during handling of the coin spinner. Preferably, the width of the groove 19 is only slightly in excess of the width of one of the coins; and the coins are arranged one behind another in the groove 19, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

2,730,368 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 To provide additional support for the coin received in the recess 17, two resilient bands 21 associated with the body 10 extend into the mouth of the recess 17 in the body in substantially parallel relationship to one another. In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawing, each band 21 is formed of wire having an upturned free end (Fig. 1) and having the other end thereof secured to a transverse plate 22 as by welding, the plate 22 being disposed intermediate the ends of the upper surface or edge 11 of the body and being secured thereto by fastening elements 23. Each wire band 21 extends along the upper edge 11 of the body from the plate 22 and then is inclined downwardly into the cut-away portion 16 of the body. Each wire band 21 then etxends substantially horizontally into the mouth of the recess 17 in the body. The bands 21 may be of identical form and the coin received in the recess 17 of the body is disposed intermediate the bands 21 so as to be confined thereby, as shown in Fig. 2, the coin in the recess 17 of the body protruding to a slight extent above the bands 21. The cutaway portion 16 of the body facilitates the disposition of the horizontal portion of each band with respect to the coin (see Fig. 3) in the recess 17 of the body.

In the illustrated form of the inveniton, the coin spinner holds six coins, five coins being held in the gravityfeed magazine provided by the grooved portion of the body 10 and the sixth coin being held in the recess 17 of the body. As shown in Fig. 3, the depth of the groove 19 in the body 10 is such that the coins in the groove 19 do not extend above the upper edge 11 of the body throughout the greater portion of the length of the groove 19.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a vertical pin 24 provided in the holder or body 10 extends into the recess 17 of the body, the pin 24 being offset with respect to the vertical center line of the coin received in the recess 17 and being disposed to the left of said center line. As shown in this view, the upper end of the pin 24 terminates a distance below the horizontal center line of the coin received in the recess 17 of the body. As shown in Fig. 2, the pin 24 is disposed adjacent the side 14 of the body and closely adjacent the longitudinal plane of the groove 19 formed in the body.

A spring striker, indicated generally at 25, is associated with the body 10. The striker 25 is constituted by an elongated strip of sheet metal secured adjacent the wide end 15 of the body by fasteners 26 and extending to the other end of the body adjacent the side 13 thereof. As shown in Fig. 1, the sides of the striker 25 taper toward the narrow end 15 of the body. The relaxed position of the free end of the striker 25 is best shown in Fig. 2. Adjacent the free end thereof, the striker 25 is provided with a reverse bend and a laterally offset portion 25, the last-mentioned portion being adapted to strike the coin 18 to the right (Fig. 2) of center to propel the coin laterally from the recess 17 of the body and to impart a spin to the coin.

The coin spinner of the invention is preferably operated as follows. The spinner is first placed on a table or the like with the edge or surface 12 of the body lowermost. Coins are then dropped into the groove 19 of the body adjacent the upper end of the groove located in proximity to the pin 20. The first coin dropped into the groove 19 moves by gravity into the recess 17 of the body and the following coins arrange themselves behind the first coin (Fig. 3) until the magazine is full. The user may then grasp the left end (Fig. 2) of the spinner in the fingers of the left hand to hold the same firmly on the table while fingers of the right hand grasp the reversely bent portion of the striker 25 at the free end of the striker. The free end of the striker 25 may then be pulled outwardly away from the body 10 and then released 3. Y so as to fly in the opposite-direction. The portion 25 of the striker, disposed intermediate the ends .of the striker 25, is thus caused to strike the coin in the recess 17 of the body to propel the coin from the spinner in a manner to efiiect spinning of the coin on the-table. Assoon'as thecoin is ejected from thespinner, thenext following coin moves into thereeess 17- of:the-body and may be quickly spun in turn by: manipulation of the striker. In this manner five or more coins may be ejected from the spinner to spin simultaneously on the table. From the foregoing, itwill be understood. that when the portion 25 of the striker strikesa coin to-eject thesame from the spinner, the. coin is struck right (Fig; 2-) of center and is propelled against the pin 24 (left of center as shown in Fig. 2'). The-pin 24 facilitates 'spinning'of'the coin asit is ejected from thespinner. Itwill also be apparent that the ejected coin-has a short-distanceof travel from the recess 17 of the body to the table, a highly desirable feature. It will also be further understood that the resilient bands 21' of the spinner are moved .apart'by the coin and release the same as, the spinning coin is ejected from the device.

In accordance with thedisclosure, there isprovided an improved coinspinner for the amusement of children and others. Furthermore, there is provided a magazineequipped coin spinner by which five or more-coins may be spun, one after another, in rapid succession, so that all the coins may spin simultaneously on a tablefor example. Still further, thereis provided a coin spinner, such as characterized above, which is of simple construction and economical to produce, and which will not easily get out of order.

While the presently preferred form of the invention has been illustrated in the drawing and described above, it will be understood that the invention may take other forms without departure from the principles of the inventionand the scope of the claim.

What we claim is:

In a coin spinner, an elongated body having an upper edge and a lower edge, said upper edge being recessed adjacent one end of the body for receiving a coin therein, said body being provided with means to support the coin on edge, said upper edge of the body having a longitudinal groove formed therein communicating with said recess, the bottom of the groove being inclined downwardly toward the recess and thc grooved portion of the body providing a gravity-feed magazine for. coins, an upstanding pin in the the body adjacent one side thereof and extending into said recess at one side of the vertical center line of the coin in said recess,

- and a striker in the form of a leaf spring extending along the other side of the body, the leaf spring having one end thereof secured to the body and having the other end thereof swingable laterally toward and awayfrom the body, and the leaf spring having a laterally offset portion extensible into said recess to strike the coin therein at the other side of the vertical center linethereof, thereby propelling the coin laterally from the body and spinning the same, said means supporting the coin in said recess comprising a pairof elongated resilient members connected to the body and'extending into the mouth of said recess; one resilient element being disposed at each side of the coin disposed insaid recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,279,766 Truesdell Apr. 14, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 946,017 France Dec. 6, 1948 

